Jamaica steps up slavery reparations campaign with petition to King Charles III

Jamaica is testing a new legal route in its long-running campaign for slavery reparations, asking Britain’s monarch to put key questions before the Privy Council. Issued on: 07/09/2026 - 14:16 3 min Reading time A Jamaican government delegation is set to submit a petition to King Charles III in London on Monday as the Caribbean nation steps up its campaign for reparations over slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Culture Minister Olivia Grange is leading the delegation, which Jamaica's culture ministry said would seek to "advance Jamaica's push for reparations for the African ancestors who suffered under hundreds of years of enslavement". The petition asks the king, who remains Jamaica's head of state, to refer three legal questions concerning slavery to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the London-based body that remains Jamaica's highest court of appeal. The delegation says it is the first time a Commonwealth country has sought to use this legal route to pursue the question of reparations. Grange said the initiative was "intended to ensure the long outstanding settlement for the hundreds of years of the most horrific abuse that our African ancestors endured". Ghana backs Jamaica's petition to push UK for slavery reparations A new legal route Jamaica is seeking an advisory opinion on three questions – whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English law, whether it violated international law, and whether Britain now has a legal duty to provide redress. The move does not itself seek a specific financial settlement but could provide a legal basis for wider discussions over reparations and Britain's historical responsibility for slavery. Buckingham Palace acknowledged the petition ahead of the delegation's visit. "We understand the Jamaican government is seeking a petition to be heard before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council," a palace spokesman said. The palace added that King Charles had "on many occasions expressed his personal and wholehearted commitment to promoting greater understanding around the issue of slavery and finding ways to address historic wrongs for the benefit of communities today". Britain's royal family has faced growing scrutiny over its historic links to slavery and colonialism. Charles and other senior royals have expressed sorrow and regret over the suffering caused by the slave trade, but the monarchy has stopped short of issuing a formal apology or committing to reparations. UN committee presents legal case for broad slavery reparations Commonwealth pressure grows Calls for reparatory justice have gathered momentum across the Caribbean, where governments and campaigners have pressed Britain and other former colonial powers to engage with demands ranging from financial compensation to development programmes, debt relief and cultural restitution. At a Commonwealth summit in Samoa in 2024, member states called for discussions on the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, increasing pressure on countries including the UK to open a dialogue on reparations. Jamaica was a British colony for more than 300 years before gaining independence in 1962. Enslaved Africans were transported to the island in large numbers to work on plantations, particularly in the sugar industry, generating substantial wealth for British plantation owners and merchants. The reparations push also comes as Jamaica debates its constitutional relationship with the monarchy and a possible transition to becoming a republic. During her visit to Britain, Grange is also due to meet British Museum officials to discuss the return of colonial-era Jamaican artefacts. The issue of cultural restitution has become increasingly prominent alongside the wider reparations debate, with former colonies seeking the return of objects held in European museums and collections. King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to visit the Caribbean later this year as part of a nine-day overseas trip, although Jamaica is not included in their itinerary. (with newswires)